Standing by herself... well almost!!

The Chievious - officially closed, but still up to chieviousness!!!

Wow, what can I say?  This little girl is so quickly turning into just that... a little girl!  No longer the little baby, and no longer can I chart her every new little development.  She has just taken off at such a startling rate, it's all I can do to keep up!!!  I can't believe how interactive she is... initiating and making sense of her world.  Her grasp of language is startling, and she spends her days now pointing and asking in the dearest little voice "gaa?", waiting for me to tell her what things are!!  Oh, and yes she also excitedly tells me whenever there is a dog in sight! :)

We've been doing swimming lessons... she went under water for her first time the other day!  And she floats all by herself in the life jacket and quite enjoys it!!  And we've made a little friend... baby Benjamin!  He's just 5 months old but she thinks he's quite something... when visiting the other day, she placed toys in his hands and kissed him on the nose!!

In short, we're joining the land of the living (as I call it!)  Yes she still likes to sleep in til noon, but I'm trying to get us up a bit earlier and out to some activities more often.  But in order to do that, I don't stay up so late myself, which means I don't get my own blog/photos/video time anymore!  Of course, living life is more important than documenting life so although I miss my down time and blogging, I'm fine with it.

I guess what I'm here to say tonight, is that I'm releasing the Chievious+2 blog.  I don't want it to become a "it's been a while" type of blog, and I don't want to worry about getting the weekly updates in.  This was created to be a keepsake, and that it will be.

So from here on in, the Chievious+2 blog is officially closed.  If I happen to have time and need an outlet for some memory keeping, I'll add it in here, but it will be sporadic if at all.

The Chievious lives on... is growing FAST, and is busier than ever!!!  She's the sweetest, dearest little soul I've ever encountered and I'm so lucky she's my very own daughter!!! :)

 

Clapping Hands

I forgot to mention in last night's blog that she has started clapping her hands all by herself!!!  She did this for the first time on Monday night, and by Tuesday, she'd do it by request!!  And she's so proud when she does!! :)

Shifting from chaos to creative energy!!

The last couple of weeks have been a huge progression of new development, I don't even know where to start!!  Suddenly, Brenna's world has gone from random chaos to the channeling of creative energy.  But not just channeling creative energy, she's also inputing information and responding creatively.

Before:  Playing with Toys - Most interesting when toys were put away, she would go through the toy containers, and one by one take things out and throw them on the floor behind her.  When she was done, she'd turn around, pick the toys up, and throw them in the other direction behind her!
Now: She'll take toys out but she'll also put them back in the box!  I actually didn't think this would ever happen cuz I've tried to show her that since she first started using her hands!!
Before: We'd build towers for her to knock down.
Now: We still do that, but she also builds towers now!

She'll actually spend tons of time just sorting things.  She got really into playing with the little chocolate easter eggs over the weekend, and she just put them from one bowl into another and back again.  Today when she found them again at Gramma and Grampa's, and started to throw them on the floor, I quickly asked for another bowl and sure enough, back and forth between bowls was such great fun!  Then later, same thing with a cup of pens.  Out and on the floor and then in the mouth, so I grabbed another container, and back and forth we went from one back to the other.  And was I amazed at the precision she has now in controlling her hands.  No longer is it a randomish in general direction toss the item.  No,,, instead she diligently points the pen and places it perfectly among the other pens!!

Tonight during bedtime story, Nathan was pleased to show me that she could follow along the story, and at the right time with the prompts, she could lift the little flaps that hide the little animals, and then place them back again.  Before it was a random tug and pull at things, but now it's at a prompt in a specific deliberate manner! 

And every day she shows more and more that she knows what we are talking about.  She's been with it for a while, but seriously, just in the last few days especially, she is really synthesizing and acting on verbal information!  It's exponentially increasing each day, literally just since Sunday!!  I was so endeared today when I placed her on little bench in the garden at my parent's house, and of course she immediately started to crawl but I warned don't fall, and she looked at me and then sat still for a good 10 minutes while we chattered and I handed her flowers and leaves.

Oh and she's so good with musical instruments too... Gramma gave her her first harp lesson today and she played happily for the other Grandparents who are here visiting.  She enthralled us all!!! 

And so funny... she loves to push around little toy trucks, trains, and a plane we have for her.  Well sunday night (Easter sunday) we get home and she's pushing it around making what I thought was a frustrated noise, but when I looked closer, she was making a play noise for the plane!!  She must have learned it from one of my nephews earlier that day.  Oh it was so cute!!

Well I have tons more to say... I hardly get time to blog anymore so I have lots of catching up to do.  Wish me luck with that but for now, I better get some sleep!!  The chievious will be up for another busy day before I know it!!!

Theme of the Week - Sign Language

I have to try to get some video of this because it is so frigging cute!!!  But the last couple of weeks, Brenna is starting to do her baby sign language with us!!  I've used several signs with her since she was about 5 months old, but one has really caught on and I only introduced it very recently.  The sign for milk.  I started using it to refer to nursing, but she has caught on to it meaning eating in general.  So now, whether she's eating food or nursing, she periodically gives us the sign that she is eating.  It's so very cute.  I find it so neat to get a glimpse into some of her thoughts... at that moment when she starts to sign she is thinking of eating.  It's so darling. 

She's also waving bye bye a lot now.  And I think maybe using a few words?  Definitely says Mammm a lot, but also said ga-ga while clingy to Gramma's leg today.  Could that have meant Gramma?  Or just coincidence?

Ah well I have more to say but must must must get to sleep!!! 

March Break with Cousins!!!

Since it's march break, we have two of my brother's boys visiting for the week.  Duncan and Aidan have been fine guests, and we've all been having a lot of fun.  I'm amazed too at how much Brenna loves having them here!  She just loves watching them, and even if they're just quietly doing their own thing, she goes about quietly and happily doing her own thing with her toys.  I'm impressed since generally when it's just her and I, she demands most of my attention, but this week with the boys here, I've been able to do all kinds of other things without her getting upset.  It's very nice!!!

Here's a little clip from last night of Duncan and Brenna having some fun.

Skyping with Auntie Rochie and Uncle Ben

Over the last several months, thanks to their brilliant initiative, Tuesday nights has been skype night with Ben and Rochelle.  It's been great to just hang out each in our own living rooms but at the same time together... it really does a lot to close a long distance gap and gives them a chance to see Brenna as she grows!!!  Here's a little clip from tonight that was too cute!!